Why the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is hanging by a thread

Opponents of the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda have been newly emboldened – meaning that the chances of any planes taking off for Kigali are now vanishingly thin, writes Sean O’Grady

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has invested a lot in pushing through the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda (EPA)

The president of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has said that countries must comply with its judges’ interim rulings. Siofra O’Leary’s comments come as the UK government tries to push its Rwanda legislation through parliament.

The UK is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which the ECHR exists to interpret.

The government’s Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill is designed to restrict the ability of the ECHR to stop deportations by issuing interim rulings under Section 39 of the Convention, which applies in circumstances wherein someone is considered to be at immediate risk of harm.